St. Paul daily globe., 1887-03-23

would cost not less than Slo.-
| 900, 900, and assuming that the
| improvement of the Fox river and its canal
would cost $4,000. 600. In addition he
thought the building of double track rail-
road would be preferable. In his report of
July II, 1867 (Report of Chief of Engineers
1877, part 2. page 8S0) he says: Il concur
with Maj. Warren in his recommendation
that an immediate and thorough survey be
made for determining the best route for a
canal along the valley Of the Wisconsin
river" But no thorough survey for such
canal has ever yet been made and all the
estimates of its cost have been mere
guesses; fact not very creditabe to our
government seeing that the general route is
probably the most favorable to be found in
our whole country. Gen. Warren anyhow
has left OH record this opinion Of it:
Fortunately the uneXampled facilities pre-
sented by the general line from Green Bay to
the Mississippi river, of having feeder like
| the Wisconsin river, discharging from 1000
to 900 cubic feet Of water per second at the
| summit level, makes it practicable to con-
| struct canal Of any capacity.
| There has been some discussion Of the
subject Of canal between Lake Superior
and the Mississippi by the way Of the st.
CroiX river. The benefits of such a canal,
if one were practicable. to great area of
the Northwest and especially to that por-
tion tributary to
ST. PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS,
! would be immense. l have been told by an
able engineer that the practicabilty of such
a canal depends on whether the topography
of the summit between the lake and the
| Mississippi admits of the construction of
sufficient reservoirs. A survey to determine
/ this single question could be made without
| no
Miami canal system occupy $4,000 acres.
Assuming that all three OF the canal routes
are feasible namely, the Hennepin (Which
unites the waters of Lake Michigan with
| the Mississippi via the Illinois
river), the Fox and the Wiscon-
sin and the st. Croix, what should
be the plan of proceeding by the friends of
these measures SO far as regards their con-
struction by the general government.
think it should be, first, to concentrate eff
fort in support of that canal which has the
best show of early success. The Hennepin
canal seems now to be that one. The sue
cess OF that will so educate the public In
favor of canals that the government will be
constrained to undertake the Fox and Wis
cOnsin canal, and when that is done it can
undertake one along the ST. Croix if sur
veys show the route to be practicable. This
is the course L would expect followed if the
works were undertaken solely by the gen.
eral government. But if separate states or
cities cared to undertake either of the
works, (and undoubtedly
THE ST. CROIX CANAL
might with good reason be so built they
could be finished sooner People some
times eXclaim against canals Oh account of
their expense, but such an argument has no
weight with me. If a route for canal is
feasible, then. according to the experience
Of all nations the necessary eX-
penSe for its construction is a
wise and benficent investment. If the sin
gle state Of New York more than half a
century ago, and when it had but a million
inhabitants, could successfully build canal
over three hundred miles long, surely the
United States, with the improved machinery
OF. the present day, can and ought to build
these canals to unite the ''Great Lakes
with the Great Father of Waters" While
commercial and industrial interests demand
their construction we have no right to treat
with Indifference the military benefits they
would afford in time OF war. Under the
law OF Aug. 5, 1886, the secretary of war
appointed a board of three engineers of the
army (Messrs. c. B. Comstock, o. NJ. Poe
and j. c. POST to examine ''in all their re-
lations to commerce" the Illinois and
Michigan canal and the proposed Hennepin
canal. In their report, which has been re-
Gently published Executive Document No.
70, second session Forty-ninth congress)
they find certain temporary objections to
the general government assuming the
canals, yet present abundant and conclusive
proofs of the great utility of the route and
| the
CHEAPNESS. OF WATER ROUTES
as compared with railroads. They show
that railroads cannot successfully compete
with the waterway from Chicago to New
, York. nor with the Erie canal, in the car
riage of large freights of low value per
: pound, except in cases where rapid transit
is an important element" They show,
> likewise that by the proposed Hennepin
, canal and the enlargement of the Illinois
, and Michigan canal, with locks ITO feet by
80 feet by Z feet deep, and to admit barges
that can be loaded to 600 tons, also. the
Mississippi improved to six feet depth as is
intended, the rate of freight per hundred
pounds from ST. Paul to Chicago would fall
TO 710 cents as compared with Is cents
per hundred pounds which was the rate by
railway from ST. Paul to Chicago in the
summer of 1885. They sum up their con-
cluSiOnS Oh this head as follows:
The board therefore, reports that in its
opinion the water way from Chicago to the
Mississippi river will be valuable and usefu
| to navigation; that it will give a waterway
, from Chicago to st. Paul. over which freights
of low cost per pound an6 not demanding the
most rapid transit can be transported at rate:
:, much below existing rates by rail, and thai
the influence Of this waterway in reducing
rates of freight will probably extend west OF
} the Mississippi. The board is also of the
, opinion that the benefits to the people effected
, by it will exceed the cost of its construction
, This document. from which | quote
4 fills 169 closely printed pages and may bt
| perused with profit by all who are inter
/ ested in the development and prosperity Of
| the Northwest. Recurring, in conclusion
t to the route first referred to. | submit tha
t the practical matter for people in thi
, vicinity to address themselves to at presen
/ is to ascertain at the earliest possible perioC
f the maximum navigable depth at which thu
/ Mississippi river from st. Paul downward
can be maintained during the low waite
season, because that will determine tn,
depth of the Fox and Wisconsin canal
{. c. ANDREWS.
e ST. Paul, March %.
FOR HUyHANlTY.S SaKE